Charming Charlie brand White LED Digital Watch, retail $10.49
Manufactured by (Unknown)
Last updated 02-17-22
I've only reviewed approx. twelve (12) LED wristwatches prior to this, so please bear with me here.
You might remember LED wristwatches from the 1970s, heck, you might still have one.
The Charming Charlie brand White LED Digital Watch (hereinafter, probably called simply an, "LED watch" or an, "LED wristwatch") is an LED watch that features a large display comprised of seven-segment LED "readouts", which are composed of phosphor white LEDs -- something that appears fairly unusual in an LED wristwatch.
It can display the time & date like other digital watches, it also displays seconds if you require that feature, and it has a metal case & rubbery watchband.
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The LED wristwatch comes ready to use right out of the bag. You may need to set the time & date - but is otherwise ready to go right away.
To read the time, press & release the face of the watch near the upper right corner. The time will be displayed for 3 seconds, and then the LEDs will automatically extinguish.
To read the date, press & release the face of the watch near the upper right corner twice in fairly quick succession. The date will be displayed for 3 seconds, and then the LEDs will automatically extinguish.
To read the seconds, press & release the face of the watch near the upper right corner three times in fairly quick succession. The seconds will be displayed for 3 seconds, and then the LEDs will automatically extinguish.
To set this watch, press the upper right of the watch's face (as though you were reading the time).
Now, press & release the leftmost digit that is being displayed. That digit should now start blinking. Press and release the upper right of the watch's face to increment this digit; e.g., 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, etc.
When the "hours" digit is where you want it, press & release the flashing digit again. Now, the rightmost (minutes) digits should be flashing.
Press and release the upper right of the watch's face -- or hold it down -- to increment the "minutes" digits.
When the "minutes" digits are where you want, press and release the "hours" digit again. The "month" digit should now be flashing.
Press and release the upper right of the watch's face to increment this digit.
When the "month" digit(s) are where you want, press and release the "month" digit again. The "day" digits should now be blinking.
Press and release the upper right of the watch's face to increment this digit.
When the "day" digits are where you want, press and release the "day" digits again. The "year" digits should now be blinking.
When the "year" digits are where you want, press and release the "year" digits again. The "12hr" reading should now be blinking.
Press and release the upper right of the watch's face to toggle this from "12hr" to "24hr" (military time). Or just press and release the upper right of the watch's face to ignore this altogether and return this watch to normal functionality.
Using the blade of a sharp knife or several extensions of a box knife, pry the back off, and set it somewhere safe.
Using the tip of the same instrument, carefully pry the battery out and dispose of it properly.
Insert a new CR2032 lithium coin cell into the battery bay, orienting it so that its button-side (-) negative goes in first.
Snap the back plate back on, set the time & date if necessary, put the watch back on, and go about your business.
This is one of the easiest watch battery changing procedures that I've encountered in the over-22 years that I've been running this website; this is most definitely going to positively affect its final rating!!!
Because this is a watch and not a flashlight, I won't try to flush it down the poddy, stomp on it with old or used bowling shoes, viciously throw it into one of those wall-mounted porcelain uranators to see if it becomes broken (the uranator, not the wristwatch), smack it against a steel rod, run over it with my Quickie motorised wheelchair, or perform other potentially destructive tests on it that might be performed on a flashlight.
As a wristwatch, I think it's quite nice. And to see real live LEDs in it, that's even better. I love LEDs and things made with them, and this watch is no exception.
One thing that I find rather annoying: this watch has a propensity to set the time & date all by itself -- I suspect the touch-sensitive face to be the culprit here. I had it reset several times during the first several hours that I owned it; it even reset itself while I was performing spectroscopy of it.
This wristwatch uses PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) of its LED display to help prolong the life of its battery.
That is to say, the segments of its display are rapidly turned on and off; the speed at which this occurs is high enough though that the display appears to be lit continuously to the human eye.
The display isn't SUPER bright; if you work outdoors and prefer LED wristwatches to analogue or LCD watches, you may wish to use a different LED watch.
Watch in its natural habitat -- on my wrist of course.
Watch displaying the time.
Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in this wristwatch.
Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in this wristwatch; spectrometer's response narrowed to a band between 440nm and 460nm to pinpoint native emission peak wavelength, which is 451.180nm.
Spectrographic analysis of the LEDs in this wristwatch; spectrometer's response narrowed to a band between 515nm and 535nm to pinpoint phosphor peak wavelength, which is 526.850nm.
The raw spectrometer data (tab-delimited that can be loaded into Excel) is at w-watch.txt
Brief video on YouTube showing the Charming Charlie brand White LED Digital Watch going through its modes
TEST NOTES:
Product was purchased on Ebay on 02-02-22 and was received at 10:31am PST on 02-10-22.
This watch was purchased as a USED item, but I believe that they're still being manufactured.
UPDATE: 02-12-22
The watch "reset" three more times during a one-hour siesta that I had last night.
I've never had to take a watch off prior to bedtime before, but it looks like I'll have to get into that habit now.
PROS:
Fairly unique WHITE LED display
Easy-peasy battery-changing procedure
Very handsome to look at whether on or off
NEUTRAL:
CONS:
Watch has a propensity to set the time & date all by itself -- I suspect the touch-sensitive face to be the culprit here. Because this renders the watch virtually unusable, it's going to receive that dreadful, "Zero Stars! Whip Out Your Ding-a-Ling or Sit on the Poddy and Have a Wee On It!!!" rating.
MANUFACTURER: Unknown
PRODUCT TYPE: Digital wristwatch with phosphor white LED display
LAMP TYPE: Phosphor white LED
No. OF LAMPS: 26
BEAM TYPE: N/A
REFLECTOR TYPE: N/A
SWITCH TYPE: Touch-sensitive face for display/setting
CASE MATERIAL: Metal; rubbery watchband
BEZEL: Glass "crystal" protects LED display
BATTERY: 1x CR2032 lithium coin cell
CURRENT CONSUMPTION: Unknown/unable to measure
WATER- AND SIBERIAN TIGER WEE-RESISTANT: Yes
SUBMERSIBLE: Unknown, but probably EIN KIND, DAS DIE HÖLLE AUS EINER LATERNE VON JACK O NEIN ZERSCHLÄGT!!!
ACCESSORIES: Battery
SIZE: (Watch): 42.10mm T x 35.90mm W x 10.40mm D; (Band): 18.40mm W x 3.40mm Thick
WEIGHT: 54.90g (1.94 oz.)
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: Unknown; but probably an Oriental country such as China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Cambodia, etc.
WARRANTY: Unknown/not stated
PRODUCT RATING:
Charming Charlie brand White LED Digital Watch *
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I love LEDs and things made with them, and this watch is no exception.
